10 Horror Movie Characters Who Didn’t Know They Were The Killer
Those horror figures who didn't realise they were the 'big bad' of their own picture.
Horror is arguably the most popular genre of cinema, with folks forever eager to get their kicks from the twisted antics on display in such terrifying pictures.
Of course, one part of horror's charm is the great killers of the genre. Whether it's the classic Universal monsters of the 1930s and beyond, icons like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, or those deeper, richer villains such as the Candyman, Bughuul or even the twisted tale of the Babadook, so often what anchors a horror picture is the rogue at its core.
While having your 'big bad' loud 'n' proud, front 'n' centre is great, there's also something to be said for having your villain lurking out of sight and with a sense of mystery and intrigue about them. And in some cases, horror hounds have even seen movies where the killer of a film has been hiding in plain sight - it's just that neither we nor the killer themselves have actually realised that!
It's on those such horror offerings that the spotlight is on here, as we look at those characters who didn't even realise that they were the bad guy (or gal) all along.
10. Marie - Switchblade Romance
Whether you know it as Switchblade Romance, High Tension or Haute Tension, Alexandre Aja's 2003 picture is one that forever splits opinion.
After a scorching, unrelenting 70 minutes or so, Switchblade Romance offers up one of the most shocking twists in modern-day horror. Some loved it, some hated it, and it's this twist that's usually the source of the vastly different opinions people have on the movie.
Plot-wise, the film centres on Cécile de France's Marie and Maïwenn's Alex, with the pair staying at Alex's parents' house for the weekend. When a late night ringing of the home's doorbell wakes our main characters from their slumber, the person on the other side of the door is a grim 'n' grimey madman (Philippe Nahon) who kills Alex's parents and her younger brother before taking her hostage in his truck. Marie manages to sneak into said truck, where the pair are locked in as they plan how they're going to escape this most sticky of situations.
Of course, the controversial ending of Switchblade Romance sees it revealed that Marie has been the one carrying out the murders of the movie, with her a crazed loon who's obsessively in love with Alex; to the extent she imaged the film's killer in order to stop anyone else being close to her obsession.